Every year on average ten Correctional Officers die in the line of duty. Every year 156 Correctional Officers take their own lives. The cumulative negative affects this job has on our health is devastating. For every Officer that dies in the line of duty, fifteen take their own lives.

“…….over time, negative work experiences and resulting psychological distress may have a cumulative impact that shapes personality adversely and causes individuals to develop a more pervasively negative outlook.”[1]

Do you jump when the phone rings even when you’re off the job? Is your first reaction to your children’s request “no,” regardless what they’re asking? Do you sit with your back to the wall in order to watch ingress and egress points? Do you feel emotions well up in you far above what the situation warrants? Are you frequently tired, and consuming more alcohol than before? Are you often asked by family and friends if everything is all right? Have you stopped listening? Do you seek more solitude and alone time?

PTSD and Depression

In a room with 100 randomly selected correctional officers, statistically 34 out of 100 will have PTSD, and 31 will be diagnosed with severe depression. Officers diagnosed with PTSD also have a 65% chance of comorbidity with depression. Officers diagnosed with depression have a 67% chance of comorbidity with PTSD.

A 2012 national study of nearly 4,000 correctional officers and staff conducted by Caterina Spinaris, Ph.D. with Desert Waters Outreach in Colorado found a 27% PTSD rate among all correctional staff and a depression rate of 26%. Among security personnel the rate is 34%, substantially higher than the general population and all other first responders.

According to a 2010 report from the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention, for adults in the general population, current prevalence rates have been estimated at 3.5% for PTSD and 9.1% for depression. Compare that to the correctional profession in which male security staff have the highest rates for PTSD, 35.8% and depression, 32.5%. For female security staff the rates are slightly lower at 29.6% for PTSD and 27.1% for depression. When both PTSD and depression are present the chances of suicide greatly increase.[2]

One of the major contributing factors that appears to increase PTSD and depression rates is the officer’s VID experience. VID is when a staff person experiences or witnesses Violence, Injury or Death (VID) on the job. Spinaris’ report showed that staff who have not experienced VID on the job had a 13% depression rate, while those experiencing one or more VIDs saw that rate jump to 27.6%

Suicide

In 2016 the National Institute of Justice awarded a $500,000 grant to Northeastern University in Massachusetts to study the impacts of correctional officer suicide. In the “Background” section of the award it states:

“The rate of suicide among correctional officers in Massachusetts since 2010 has been at least five times higher than the national average and almost eight times higher than the suicide rate in the state.”[3] From 2010 to 2016, eighteen Massachusetts Correctional Officers took their lives.

In 2009 the New Jersey Police Suicide Task force found that the suicide rate for men in the general population aged 25-64 was 14 per 100,000. For police officers it was slightly higher at 15.1/100,000. For correctional officers, however, it was off the charts at 34.8/100,000 more than double the rate of suicide for police officers.[4]

“Based on the analysis of death certificate data from 21 states that provided information on the occupation of the deceased, it was determined that Corrections Officers risk of suicide was 39% higher than that of the rest of all other professions combined.”[5]

“Corrections Officers are above the general population on all measure of divorce. It is a sad thing, and we have to look at that as a profession, but our corrections officers are higher in rates of divorce, and in the rates of growth in the divorced population. It is difficult to do the statistics any other way. They were 20% more likely to get a divorce than the general population...”[6]

Heart Disease

Heart disease is also a factor when PTSD and depression are present. “Individuals formally screened for PTSD and Depression reported that theysuffered from heart disease approximately twice as often as individuals who were disorder-free and approximately 50% more often than individuals who had PTSD only or Depression only. These results indicate that corrections professionals with concurrent PTSD and Depression are substantially more likely to report having heart disease, and suggest that they are at increased risk for heart disease.”

In short, correctional officers have a 39% higher suicide rate, PTSD rates ten times higher than the general population, a divorce rate that’s 20% higher than the national average, and heart disease affects us at a rate that is 50% higher than any other occupation. These statistics are sobering, and even more so because they are so underreported.

Every elected official in your jurisdiction should get a copy of the reports cited herein and this summary. Don’t let them tell you, “I didn’t know…” Be safe in there.

Like this:

Related

Published by armorupnow

Sean Riley is the Founder and President of Safe Call Now, a confidential, comprehensive, 24-hour crisis referral service for public safety employees, all emergency services personnel and their family members nationwide. Safe Call Now was started in 2009 after legislation was passed guaranteeing confidentiality nationwide for all who call the Safe Call Now crisis line that is staffed by current and former first responders.
Sean played baseball for San Diego State University and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Public Administration. He started his law enforcement career as a San Diego County Deputy Sheriff in 1987 and later relocated to Washington State in 1990. Sean spent over 16 years with the Kirkland Police Department. His many accomplishments include being a member of the International Homicide Investigator's Association, Homicide and Sexual Assault Detective, Interview and Interrogation Specialist, D.A.R.E. Officer, Gang Officer and Certified Training Officer. Riley is also credited with solving one of the first ever elder abuse homicide cases in the nation.
Sean's prominent career in law enforcement ended in 2005 when he could no longer hide his "secret" behind the badge. Sean threw away his almost 20-year stellar police career due to alcohol and drug addiction and was headed towards suicide to become just another unknown statistic. In addition to attending college for substance abuse counseling, Sean worked as a supervisor at a local treatment center where he witnessed many public safety employees coming in and out of treatment. Riley decided to do something about it. From his own experience, he knew that first responders wanted to come forward to help, but due to the stigma attached, they would not. Admitting to a substance abuse or mental health problem is perceived as a sign of weakness and could result in the termination from a noble career. By creating a safe and confidential place to reach out for help, first responders are now coming forward in droves from around the nation to better their lives, better their families and better their careers.
Recognized as a dynamic national keynote speaker, Sean travels throughout the country to share his inspirational story. Coupled with cutting edge, interactive training, Riley hits those once thought of as "taboo" or "controversial" topics head-on.
"Safe Call Now provides education, healthy alternatives, resources and a complete continuum of care to save lives and put families back together. Through a collaborative effort, Safe Call Now has discovered when you provide an opportunity for an individual to get their life and their family back, you get one great employee back out serving the public."
- Sean Riley, Founder/President
View all posts by armorupnow